Sunday, December 30th 2007

Art. Lebedev Exposes Touchscreen Concept Keyboard

Art. Lebedev Studio today prototyped a keyboard design that could stand in as a completely flexible display. The Optimus Tactus would improve on the yet to be shipped Maximus keyboard with touch input. Instead of an OLED screen built into every key, the Tactus would use one giant touchscreen that would not only permit keys to change in size and function, but would also allow features such as video playback overlay. As a matter of fact the release date for Tactus is set to be 01.01.2008, but the keyboard is still considered a concept and may not be released ever.
Sources: Electronista, Art. Lebedev Studio
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49 Comments on Art. Lebedev Exposes Touchscreen Concept Keyboard

#26
btarunr
Editor & Senior Moderator
I really doubt its durability. I like punching keys, I hit "enter" and "space" a lot harder and hold down "shift" really hard. This board will have no tactile feedback at all. The concept looks good where while gaming you can position keys where you want them to be and the rest of the board can display game stats, alas! lack of tactile feedback kills that too.
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#27
snuif09
nothing for me i must spend my money on fireworks right now
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#28
kwchang007
Looks cool, but the problem is defiantly not tactile feedback. I defiantly feel more at home with a laptop keyboard, but even on a standard keyboard I enjoy the feedback. It's kinda like the difference between playing a piano and a keyboard (tactile vs touch screen) if you know what that's like. And a crappy keyboard at that. There's just no feeling to tell you what's going on, only what the output is.
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#29
Dippyskoodlez
mas0nThere is a difference between soft-touch and no-touch. This would be like typing on a big goddamned iPhone.
I love typing on my iphone.


Whats wrong with it?

Its just called faith in your equipment.
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#30
EastCoasthandle
If you enjoy banging your fingers on the table as an imaginary keyboard this unit is for you :D
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#31
btarunr
Editor & Senior Moderator
:roll: Couldn't agree more.^

The previous product by Lebedev, the keyboard that has "proper" keys with tiny OLED displays made a little more sense than this one.
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#32
Bundy
This is a step in the right direction, even though touch screens are a bit hard to get used to. This keyboard would probably be popular with the gamer community but it opens up lots of possibilities for programmers, especially those writing apps for the less skilled amongst us (i.e. children, elderly, disabled).

For me, I would relish being able to skip learning the keyboard commands for every new game I get. Just click a check box and the game downloads the lot to the keyboard. Wow.
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#33
Dangle
What's the point of using a keyboard that you have to look at while you type?
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#34
Mussels
Freshwater Moderator
DangleWhat's the point of using a keyboard that you have to look at while you type?
well at least it has movies for you to look at :P
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#35
btarunr
Editor & Senior Moderator
^Why do you need movies to look at when you've got a nice big monitor in in front of you? People who buy this anyway have high-end everything, including display.
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#36
Mussels
Freshwater Moderator
people do all sorts of things with a G15 LCD, so i'm sure it will have uses.
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#37
btarunr
Editor & Senior Moderator
^ They don't watch videos. Besides the G15's LCD was only ment to display the game stats. This is a good concept, I don't deny that but the keys' lack of tactile-feedback kills it.
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#38
qwerty_lesh
g-15's are completely different mussels, thier ordinary keyboards, backlit with a bunch of gaming features slapped on em, (at least imo the origional one is, the 2nd rev is less so)

the screen on them is positioned at a more visable angle unlike these touch screen keyboard thing-o's. but neway these are not for me, never will be no matter the design changes for them, even if they are made moreso for enthusiests.

if they made these so they were presure sensitive, so if u type harder or softer it affects the recognition and the input of the keyboard, itd probably make it better to type on, or if between the display keys, if their were indentations or bumps shaping (outlining) over where the keys are supposed to be. could make them more generalsed to use for more people. still, i dont like em :) happeh new years w00t!
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#39
ShadowFold
I regret just buying a Saitek Eclipse now :(
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#40
Unregistered
This reminds me, wasn't there something like a "virtual keyboard" once? It was like a laser or something that shows a keyboard on the desk, but there isn't really one there (???).

Strange that Bang&Olufsen didn't come out with this "touch keyboard" first..
#41
Mussels
Freshwater Moderator
TechnicalFreakThis reminds me, wasn't there something like a "virtual keyboard" once? It was like a laser or something that shows a keyboard on the desk, but there isn't really one there (???).

Strange that Bang&Olufsen didn't come out with this "touch keyboard" first..
that was a prototype too, so it was never mass produced or anything (yet)
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#42
btarunr
Editor & Senior Moderator
Gotta admit but, if Apple uses this keyboard or something similar to this with their next big revision to the Mac, they'll end up selling the sexiest thing on silicon.
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#43
effmaster
TechnicalFreakThis reminds me, wasn't there something like a "virtual keyboard" once? It was like a laser or something that shows a keyboard on the desk, but there isn't really one there (???).

Strange that Bang&Olufsen didn't come out with this "touch keyboard" first..
They once showed it off in a CSI Miami tv show. They were trying to figure out how information had been keaked if their suspect hadnt used her computer nor her cell phone to get the message out:laugh: It was really cool:toast::toast:
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#44
Sasqui
I know this is not the same, but has anyone tried or know of anyone who has the "maximus"? ($500 USD!!!) www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/



I know the concept of a configurable "touch board" scares some people, but I've talked to many iPhone users that love it.
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#45
btarunr
Editor & Senior Moderator
Voila! this is the board I was talking about. It's got OLED displays per key + tactile feedback. This is the better product among the two.
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#46
Sasqui
btarunrVoila! this is the board I was talking about. It's got OLED displays per key + tactile feedback. This is the better product among the two.
Yes... and at a mere ~$500. ;) I have to admit I really want one - and like to take that new flatboard for a spin.

Wish there were some shows where these guys had a booth.
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#48
Mussels
Freshwater Moderator
:S i didnt know it made retail.
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